Random Robin Ramblings

Will turned 2...

2009-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

over a week ago, but I'm slow. He got a Nerf machine gun that shoots 4 bullets a second and absolutely loves it! He shoots the dogs, and daddy, and mommy and laughs and laughs and laughs.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-10T17:18:00.001-08:00

Will showing off his new doggy jammies...Thanks Uncle Josh & Aunt Ashley!

Family Pics 2009

2009-11-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

My photographer is freaking awesome! Below are a few of my fave's she recently shot of our family. When you need family pics done be sure to see Tiffany at: http://www.followyourartphotography.com/

2009-10-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Splash Park

2009-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

This if 5 minutes from my house and I only found out about it yesterday! We had such a great time! We will be visiting this place a lot.

Pics

2009-07-23T10:43:00.001-07:00

So I finally found the cord to connect my phone to my pc so I can upload some pics I've taken on my phone from our trip to the zoo and farm. Most turned out pretty blurry...it's not a great camera phone.

More from ABQ

2009-06-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

We went to the Albuq aquarium (lame) and botanical garden (cool) yesterday. And we also found a great little babysitter and went out to eat at one of the local restaurants. So yesterday was a lot of fun! This morning I went to a "hot yoga" class, that was pretty cool...but I prefer Vinyasa. Unfortunatly they don't have a Vinyasa class I can go to with our schedule. Now, I don't normally complain about being a dog widow, but I am very sad that Jason has a dog seminar on the same weekend as the two fun events I mentioned in my last blog. Guess Will and I are going without him. Hopefully I will have a friend in town that can go with me...we'll see.

Living in Albuquerque

2009-06-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

So we're "living" in Albuquerque now...for a month at least. It's really fun so far. We rented a townhouse right across from a park. It's also walking distance to a small grocery store, Starbucks, and an authentic mexican taco stand. The place is small but laid out really well for our needs. It's so easy to clean and has a private backyard for Bas too. There is even a built in kiddie-kave under the stairs with a darling cottage door. Albuq has lots of great restaurants I'm excited to try, and all kinds of fun activities. At the end of the month there is a big cowboy shooter competition thing. Kind of like a Renaissance fair but in the wild west instead. Everyone dresses up and competes in single-action shooting events. I went a couple years ago as a trade show vendor, and was excited to see it will be going on while we are here so Jason can come and see it because it's so much fun. There is also a cool food event where local chefs compete like Iron Chef. I'm especially excited about the salsa competition. Mmmmmmm, salsa! Anyway, more tales from ABQ to follow. Hope all my Utah friends are having fun. Special thanks to Lara for taking care of Jack and our house while we are away.

Hawaii '09

2009-05-14T06:54:00.001-07:00

So we made it back (despite a hellacious plane ride where I almost jerked the handle on the emergency exit). I will NEVER take the overnight flight again! Will slept for 2 hours, woke up screaming after a bad dream, puked his guts out ala Exorcist, then insisted on walkign up & down the aisle (shirtless) for 4 hours before finally going back to sleep. The actual trip part was fun though. Lots of relative visits and sunshine. The last day Jason asked if there was anything I wanted to do that we didn't get to and I had to say "Relax"...traveling with a baby just doesn't make for a relaxing vacation. Lots of fun, but he wouldn't nap at home, only in the car, so we did a lot of driving. Driving next to a highway with a beautiful ocean view is the best way to do it though, so I can't complain! We had a nice condo and Will had his own room to sleep in (thanks to Auntie Lara taking the couch) so that part was sooooooo nice! He slept 12 hours each night, just like at home, so we could go out at night while Lara babysat. It was a very great trip. Here are a few pics:

Child Labor

2009-04-28T18:17:00.001-07:00

I've got Will trained to clean the toilet, now if we can just get him to mow the lawn we'll start seeing a return on our investment.

Just kidding! He absolutely LOVES to splash in the toilet, so I compromised and let him splash, but only if he uses the toilet brush and not his hands. YUCK!

We're in trouble...

2009-04-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

The little monkey figured out how to climb on a chair and onto the table to get a banana!

Here he is working on the computer:

Yeah yeah, I'm a bad blogger...

2009-03-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I've posted, I know. Here are some fun pictures...

Bas making himself at home on Uncle Jimmy's lap:

Will enjoying his morning latte (or the remnants of mine):

And Will rocking the Mister T chains...I pity the fool who says this ain't cute:

A few pics

2009-03-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Not much going on. I'm sick of Winter and it seems to be coming back. Snow again...ugh! Cousin Jim is staying with us for a few weeks. He is super cool and even cooks for us, so as far as I'm concerned he can stay as long as he wants! The pic is for you Colleen...I know you'll appreciate his shirt. Will was also looking super cute today in his hand-me-down's from Jack. These will be coming your way eventually Tony, since I have a little nephew due in August we are super excited about!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

2009-03-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

Jason & I have been married 9 years today! Wowza! Since we dated a year before, that means we've been together a decade, yet he's still my favorite person to spend time with. We have such an amazing life together, I'm grateful every day for it and wouldn't change a thing! Thank you so much for being the best husband a girl could ask for, and for swimming through shark infested waters every day to bring me lemonade. XOXOXOXOX and all that other stuff you like *wink wink*.

P.S. And to all the families (on both sides) I can happily report that we are both the same clothes size as the day we were married. Despite the warnings about what "Koreans" and "White Women" do, we did not get fat!

Burn Baby Burn

2009-02-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

The BMW caught on fire on the freeway today while Jason was driving to work. I am soooooo thankful he is fine, that I had just barely taken the Bugaboo out of the trunk, and that Will was not in that car when it happened! Here is some video of the damage:

10 things I want

2009-02-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

1. To sleep late
2. A glitter toes pedicure
3. To sleep late in Vegas
4. Botox
5. To sleep late in Austin
6. A facial
7. To sleep late in NYC
8. Espresso machine
9. To sleep late in Park City
10. A day off

Bad Blogger

2009-01-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so it's been almost two weeks since my last post, I know I'm a bad blogger. There just doesn't seem to be much going on to blog about. Will's walking, and he said "mama" finally, so it seems he's passed all the momentus milestones...now it's just learning more words, perfecting the balance, etc. I'm very proud of my awesome hubby whose hard work is really paying off and has been recognized by multiple people vying for his services! Looks like this is going to be a great year for growing his business...what recession?! You are such a stud!!! Other than that, I'm just eagerly awaiting Spring and sick to death of Winter. Blah!!!

Challah-day...celebrate!

2009-01-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

So I made my first attempt at baking Challah bread today. I used to buy it every Friday at Harmon's, but now that there is a Smith's so much closer, I usually shop there. Harmon's is probably much yummier than mine will be, but that is probably a good thing and maybe I won't eat the whole loaf. I messed up the recipe a bit (forgot the 2nd rise, used 3 eggs and 1 yolk, instead of 3 eggs and 1 white), so it probably will suck. It was a fun first attempt though! Shalom.

Will can walk!

2009-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

Blah Blah Blah

2009-01-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

So I haven't been in the mood to post lately. My parents dropped the bomb that they are getting a divorce...after 30+ years of marriage. That sucks! It's also FREEZING COLD here, like 18 degrees cold, and I've got cabin fever bad. My Flip video also broke :( so no cool videos to post.

But hey, interest rates on 30 year fixed dropped into the 4's today, so business should be good for Jason...that is one GREAT thing! So my friends, if you've been thinking of refinancing, now is the time. Being trapped at home also gave me time to take down the Christmas tree finally, and clean the fridge. I've resolved to be a better housekeeper this year, amongst other things. So far so good!

1 Year Pics

2008-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

Will speaks!

2008-12-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

So Will has been saying "Good" officially for a few weeks now. I'm not quite sure if he knows what it means. Jason is convinced it's his word for everything like "smurf" is for the Smurf's. Well today after hours of "good, good, good" we went up to have a bath and get ready for bed. Jason has been confined to bed today because he is sick and I'm trying to keep the germs minimized. So anyway, I am trying to get his jammies on and he is escaping, trying to climb on the bed so Jason will rescue him and he said "Dada" several times and reaching out to Jason. It was so sweet!

So I was hoping to post his 1 year old pictures, but Portrait Innovations messed up and didn't burn the CD so I have to trek back to Provo tomorrow to pick it up. I should have them up tomorrow.

Christmas Mini-Vaca

2008-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

So Jason & I decided to take a mini-vaca instead of gifts to each other this year. It was our first night away from the baby, and boy was it fun! We spent the night at Zermatt in Midway and had dinner at the Blue Boar Inn. It was awesome! We also went cross country skiing and tubing in Soldier Hollow and it was soooooooooo freaking fun!!!! I can't believe I've lived in Utah my whole life and never tried cross country before. The video is of us going down the tubing hill which was a blast and I highly recommend to you friends, especially if you have kids. They will dig it!

We waited exactly 1 day after his first birthday to leave Will. He did great at grandma & grandpa's house and barely missed us at all. Thanks so much to mom & dad for giving us the night away!

Happy Birthday Will!

2008-12-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well, we survived the first year and Will had such a fun birthday! He got an awesome bear that talks to him from grandma & grandpa (which hopefully we can keep away from Bas as long as possible) and a big truck he can ride on, walk with, and stack blocks in. Grandma, strike that, "Auntie" Mina sent him some money & a card to pick out whatever he wants, but it has been delayed in the holiday mail.

Tasting cake:

Considering the flavors:

I think he likes it:

Well anyway, Happy Birthday Monkey! We love you!!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

Will crawls over the ottoman...video

2008-12-18T15:23:00.000-08:00

Will got a haircut today

2008-12-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

We went to Cookie Cutters which specializes in kids haircuts. Boy was it cool! They have neat-o airplanes and cars they sit in and a tv with cartoons right in front of each chair. We were in and out in 15 minutes and Will didn't cry at all. Plus he was thrilled with his balloon they gave him too. Here is the before & after pics:

Wicked update

2008-12-09T15:37:00.001-08:00

So Jason is going out of town Thursday, and my mom had surgery so an overnighter is out of the question for Will. She is going to come over early (5am) Friday so I can go wait in line for tickets though. So no camping for me, but hopefully I will still be able to get good seats.

***Update*** So I went up at 5am, to find the line already wrapped the block. I am glad I didn't wait because apparently people waited in line for hours to find them sold out by the time they got up there. I tried for 2 hours online and by phone, but the website had crashed and the phonelines were busy. Now people are scalping them at 3 times face value or more. At that price I can fly to NYC and see it there! (Which I am sure is a much better production.) I will keep my eyes open for a decently priced ticket, but if all else fails will see it in NYC when Cole & I go for our 30th bday next year. I am very dissappointed though. *Sigh.*

Will met Santa

2008-12-08T14:01:00.001-08:00

He didn't cry, but he wasn't too thrilled to meet him. Maybe next year...

Who wants to go "camping"?

2008-12-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Tickets for Wicked go on sale on December 12th at 7am at the Capitol Theatre, BUT, they don't go on sale online, or by phone, until 10am! By then I am sure the good seats will be gone. So I will be camping overnight to get my seats. Who wants to come?

Back from TX

2008-12-05T18:18:00.001-08:00

We made it back in one piece, with suprisingly little damage done to the debit card. It was a super fun trip, but way too short. Will has such a good time playing with his "cousins" Chloe, Brooklyn, and Jack...and of course their awesome cat Chuck Norris (the coolest cat in the world)! Will was good on the plane on the way there, and GREAT on the way back -- whew, what a relief! Anyway, thank you so much to Aunt Colleen for all the clothes and toys! I won't have to shop for Will for clothes at all in the next year!!! LOVE IT!!! We had such a good time and hope to come back in the summertime. Love you guys!

Will and Aunt Cole:

Off to Austin

2008-12-01T15:13:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow I leave for Austin for a few days, but won't have time to post tomorrow with all the packing so thought I better do it now. I'm very nervous to fly with Will by myself. I just pray he sleeps! It is only a 3 hour flight, not like the 6 hours to Hawaii, so we should be okay. I am super excited to go visit my BFF Cole and her family and of course eat some good Tex Mex & shop up a storm at the outlets. I am bringing a VERY large bag to hopefully fit all the loot. I will be back on Friday morning with lots to talk about. Wish me luck!

What do you want for Christmas?

2008-11-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, I would NEVER spend this much on a pair of shoes...but aren't they hot!?!

I'll add reasonable gifts to this post as I think of something I want, but I can't really think of anything right now. Tell me friends what you all want for Christmas.

Very domestic of me, I know, but I've been craving Belgian Waffles:

Shoe fettish continues:

Twilight Movie

2008-11-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

So Jason was kind enough to stay home with Will for a couple extra hours today so I could go to see the Twilight movie. I was pleasantly suprised. Usually book adaptations butcher the story, and that didn't happen here. My only complaint was the weak special effects. The book was definately better of course, because you get inside the characters heads, but it was a pretty decent movie. I'm glad Jason missed it because the constant giggling and fawning over the characters by the teeny-boppers would have driven him crazy. My friend Em brought her hubby (who has actually read the books) and he was one of only like four guys in the theater. Hopefully he doesn't have a headache from all the estrogen in the air. A big thanks to Em for getting tickets too!!! So my recommendation: see it, but read the book first, and don't bring a male.

NBC SUCKS!

2008-11-13T14:57:00.001-08:00

I hate NBC!!! They cancelled two of my favorite shows: Lipstick Jungle and My Own Worst Enemy. NBC=Nothing But Crap!

How cool is this!?

2008-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:00

I just found out you can reserve movies at Redbox online! You pick your movie, pick your location, then go there & swipe your card and it is dispensed! Only $1 a movie too! Plus you know it is in stock and held for you before you load up the baby and go trekking out to get a movie just to be disappointed it is out of stock! I LOVE REDBOX!!!

Set your Tivo's

2008-11-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

The best show on TV is starting a new season this Wednesday. Top Chef on the Bravo Network gets better every season! It's not your typical reality cooking show with semi-to-no-talent "characters" creating drama and learning to cook. This is top of their industry chefs with years of experience, most who own their own restaurants, cooking their way through a series of challenges till one is crowned Top Chef. If you haven't seen it, and you are a foodie, make sure to set your Tivo! Warning: it is HIGHLY addicting!

Go Vote!

2008-11-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

I know, I know..."It's Utah, my vote isn't important here". If for nothing else, Starbucks will give you free coffee & Krispy Kreme will give you a free donut!

Halloween

2008-11-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well it was fun! Will was the Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo. He wore his costume for all of 10 minutes to chase cousin Grayce around while she swatted at him with her witch's broom. I have a sugar hangover today...better treat it with some M&M's.

Pumpkins, Part II

2008-10-31T10:31:00.001-07:00

Here they are!

Pumpkins, Part I

2008-10-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

So we went to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. These will be the most awesome jack-o-lanterns you have ever seen...keep watching for the results.

The fish pond

2008-10-27T18:23:00.001-07:00

It was such a nice, warm day today we went to check out the fish in Grandma & Grandpa's back yard.

Will really wanted to dive in!

This is Will & Daddy's reflection & the Koi...look how big that fish is!

William lay there like a slug...

2008-10-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

So Will is walking with his little cart thing this morning and he collapses backwards with it...but the funny thing is he didn't even cry! No, he just laid (is that the correct grammer? Lay, layed, laid..those alwasy confuse me) there quietly, patiently for me to finish steaming milk for my mochachino, knowing that mommy would rescue him eventually. What a cutie!

Just a fun video

2008-10-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Walking with Dad

2008-10-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

The TV Saga reaches its tramatic conclusion

2008-10-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

I say "tramatic" instead of "dramatic" because it would cost another $500 or more to fix it so we are officially throwing in the towel. After replacing the lamp, ballast, and the color wheel the lamp lit up, the color wheel spun, and still no picture. Oh how it would have been nice to know that was a possibility BEFORE we ordered the color wheel and had to spend another $195 in labor (which included the $30 discount for not charging us a trip fee on the 2nd visit). The tech was so baffled after having replaced everything he had to call for backup to determine what was wrong. It needs a new DMB board. So the parts are all being returned, and we are just out the cost of the labor ($400). So let this be a lesson to all my Dave-Ramsey-following-friends...even though you may want to be "Gazelle Intense" and try to save money by fixing shit, sometimes it is just better to just forget it and buy a new TV. And for Jason, yes you were right, I submit to your all knowing all seeing prophetic wisdom. Love you!

Snow!

2008-10-12T10:18:00.001-07:00

Will discovered snow today. Don't you out of state girls just miss this?

For the Moms

2008-10-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

This has always been one of my fave SNL skits. Enjoy!

Randomness

2008-10-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been a few days since I posted. Nothing much going on to post about I guess. The TV is still broken so you would think I have nothing but time to blog, but Will is in a "play with me all the time" mood this week. One final thought...if I hear John McCain say "my friends" in that creepy pedophile voice of his one more time I'm going to claw my ears out. Okay that's all. Have a good day!

The TV saga continues...

2008-10-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

So the ballast finally arrived yesterday and was installed today. But there is yet ANOTHER problem! The color wheel has exploded! The heat from the fireplace below the tv (THANK YOU RICHMOND AMERICAN FOR DESIGNING SUCH A GREAT SETUP!) dramatically shortened the lifespan of the parts. You could see the heat wear on various gaskets & lenses inside the tv. The repair man was very nice & educational. He's going to order the part personally instead of trusting it to the incompetent $7/hr girls at the office. So maybe next week we'll have a working tv again. This is the color wheel:

Thank you Aunt Asheley...

2008-09-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

for this awesome outfit! (Doesn't he rock it with attitude?!) Pay no attention to the dog hair...we're babysitting a swamp collie a.k.a. German Shepherd.

Will discovers the toilet paper roll...

2008-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

...hijinks ensue!

Korean Mafia in Utah

2008-09-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

So five members of the Korean Mafia made the long trek to Utah--three aunts, grandma, and mom. Okay, first that is what Jason calls his family, not me. It's just because they are all so chicly dressed, mostly in black, that they really stand out in Utah. They had a 4 hour stop in SLC on their way to Yellowstone. Because the weather shortened their time here, they just had time to come see our house, grab a burger (Weird I know, but mom wanted In-N-Out burger which we don't have here, so we took them to the In-N-Out of the east coast Five Guys Burgers), then we dropped them off at the Salt Lake Temple to join their tour group.

Jason's grandma is terrified of dogs. This is Jason torturing her...

9 month stats

2008-09-24T10:16:00.001-07:00

So Will had his 9 month birthday on the 20th, and his 9 month check up yesterday. Here are his stats...
Length: 27 1/2" (25th percentile)
Weight: 18 pounds, 13 ounces (25th percentile)
Head Circ: 47 cm (90th percentile!!!)

So he continues to be small with a giant head! No wonder he tips over so much when he walks...I just thought he inherited my grace. We love our little hobbit though!

Twilight-aholics

2008-09-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

I found a website with deleted sections from Twilight...kinda like dvd outtakes. Here is a link: http://twilightsource.com/twilight.php Enjoy!

House Party

2008-09-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Who invited Murphy to my party?! First my tv broke. We thought it was just the lamp (light bulb) for the tv, so I had one FedExed to my and replaced it, but nope, still broken. It is actually some other part--that I can't remember the name of--that I can't fix myself and will cost like $400 to have done professionally. But hey, it's still cheaper than a new tv. So my House Party, which was supposed to revolve around the showing of the Lipstick Jungle premier, was just a fun night to hang out and chat with the girls. I only had a 50% turnout for the party -- but everyone had good excuses (parent night at pre-school, visiting teaching, flu, etc.). Colleen & Elizabeth were there in spirit from out of state, but I mailed their packages out today. I broke out the chocolate fountain, which we've had for about a year but never used, and it was a yummy hit! Anyway, although it was not as big a party as I had hoped, it was totally fun! Thanks Lori, Lindsay, Lara, Kristi, and Kjristina for coming! Hope you had fun too!

Thieves!!!

2008-09-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

This is just the week of dirty, grubbing thieves!!! So our debit card number was stolen. Some loser racked up a bunch of charges to Pacific Sunwear, iTunes, and some other place in Virginia Beach. This is the second time we've had a credit card number stolen. And of course, they always get aways with it! Credit cards have fraud protection, so the police figure you're not out anything, so oh well. Stores just eat the loss. Last time they wouldn't even tell me where my $1200 projector was sent without a warrant, they're rather just lose the money than pursue any kind of justice. Of course we couldn't get a warrant because it wasn't in Utah, and our local police had no jurisdiction. I freaking hate thieves!!!!!

Twilight Tragedy

2008-09-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

I am sooooooo sad! Okay, I know the Twilight series is written for teeny boppers, but I love it! Well some idiot leaked an unfinished copy of Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edward's point of view), which quickly spread across the internet. Well Stephenie Meyer was so upset she published the half finished book on her own website so fan's wouldn't be torn between breaking the law and reading the illegal copy or being loyal and not knowing what half the world already knows. BUT she is sooooo pissed she is saying she isn't going to finish the book!!!! This makes me very, very sad! Well, of course I read it (at www.stepheniemeyer.com if you want to read it too), but it makes me want the rest of the book more than ever. This is a tragedy! I hate thieves and there is a special place in hell for them. Thanks you spineless weasels for ruining this for millions of fans. Rot in hades!!!

Playdate

2008-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Rachel brought her baby Teyton over to play with Will today. Teyton is about two weeks older than Will, but Will's head is so huge in comparison. Teyton is taller and leaner too. Anyway,it's the first time he's been able to play with someone his age...the rest of my friend's kids are all older. Here are some fun pics!

Will's new toy

2008-09-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Now that Will can crawl he's all over the house. Well, today he found something that made him laugh and I was able to catch it on video thanks to the Flip (the best present ever--thank you Jason!) Hope it makes you laugh like it did for me.

Happy Birthday Colleen!

2008-08-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

On this your twenty-(bleeeep)th birthday I thought I would take you on a trip down memory lane...about 10 to 14 years ago. Thanks for being the best friend ever! LYLAS!

Front row at Counting Crows...

Awesome mom! Not quite so long ago...

Aaaah, youth...

Who is that dude?!

Sweet 16!

Summer after graduation...wild & free!

Total mall rats!

He did it!

2008-08-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Will finally crawled. It's kind of a long video, but I couldn't figure out the editing software to cut out the boring parts. Enjoy!

The Declaration of Independence

2008-08-15T12:06:00.001-07:00

One of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence was in Utah today. It was so awesome to be able to go see it. I'm so grateful I'm a stay-at-home mom so I can go do things like this and not have to worry about whether I have to "work" or not. Thank you Jason for that!!!

The Declaration was in awesome condition for something so old! Here are the pics:

Not for the PETA people

2008-08-15T11:40:00.001-07:00

My son the meat eater trying his first Prime dry-aged beef. He sure likes it!

Family Pictures

2008-08-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Tiffany is an awesome photographer! I LOVE her work and highly recommend her if you need family pics (http://www.artphotographs.blogspot.com/). Here are a few of my favorites from our recent session....

Canyon Trip

2008-08-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

This pic is from last week when we went up to the canyon...lots of fun! Don't they look alike?

Evil Mommy

2008-08-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of those posts Will is going to hate me for when he is a teenager, but I am an evil mommy. I've been trying to catch Will's "poop face" on camera for months because it is so goofy looking...well here it is!

29

2008-07-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

So as of yesterday I am officially 29...clinging to my twenties by my fingernails. I feel like 29 is the equivelant of Sunday night at 10pm when you know you have to get up and go to work in 8 hours. That feeling of dread that the weekend is over and a whole new week of work is ahead. (This is all when I had a "job" of course. Now that I don't "work" my schedule is always the same -- no sleeping in or time off on weekends so they don't quite hold the same enjoyment anymore.) Anyway, I know that when Monday morning arrives it won't be so bad, the waiting and anticipation of it is always worse.

My birthday was great! Lara came and babysat Will so we could go out. It was so nice not feeling like we had to rush home to pick him up, or wake him up at mom & dad's to transfer and bring him home to sleep. We went to this Irish restaurant next to the theater called MacCool's. It was suprisingly good. We all ordered something different and just did it family style so we got to try a little of everything. I got a huge wedge of chocolate cake for dessert & a comped margarita for my bday instead of singing waiters. (Much better in my opinion!!!) Then we saw Batman -- an awesome movie I really want to see again because there was so much plot to digest. I got lots of great gifts too, so thank you to everyone!

Next year for the big 3-0 me and Cole are going to NYC to celebrate together. Hope you're saving up Cole!

Trying to crawl

2008-07-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Will is really trying...just not quite there yet. He gets frustrated because he can't move yet. His favorite thing used to be the jumperoo, but now he cries whenever I put him in it because it's too confining. He was up on all fours today, and Bas was giving him some pointers. I think a few more days or weeks and he'll have it down.

The never-ending drama of the Cuisinart

2008-07-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

First let me say I HATE THE FREAKING POST OFFICE!!!! Okay, that is out of my system. I bought Jason a Cuisinart stick blender for Christmas. Well in about February I was making a protien shake and the POS broke on some frozen berries. In order to repair/replace it they (Cuisinart) charges $10. Lesson 1, never buy anything from Amazon.com you can buy locally at Bed Bath & Beyond for the same price. They would have just let me exchange it at the store. So In June I finally get around to packing it up to send in for warranty. I have it weighed & measured at Harmon's so I can just put stamps on it and drop it in the mail box without having to wait in that horrible line at the post office. So June 30th I drop it in the box. A few days later they send it back to me with a sticker saying I have to bring it to the counter. So another week goes by until I am with Jason and he can just run it in and drop it at the counter while Will & I wait in the car...again to avoid having to unpack the baby and wait in that ridiculous line. So today I find in my mailbox the box AGAIN!!! It was returned for 31 cents of additional postage, which Cuisinart refused to pay. And because it was "refused" I had to repay $5.41 to repost the entire freaking package!!! The lady said I got off lucky because they could have charged me for the return postage too to send it back when Cuisinart refused it. So thus far I have spent $10.51 in postage, along with $10 for the repair, and three trips to the post office, to replace an item that costs $29.99! Moral of the story: buy locally, and NEVER EVER EVER send anything by U.S. Mail when you can use UPS or FEDEX instead.

Squirrels!

2008-07-17T12:29:00.001-07:00

So it's been a while since I've posted (sorry Colleen, thanks for the reminder). It's been a busy couple weeks. Jason was in Vegas opening the new store the weekend before last. Then last weekend was the dog trial. Bas & Jason took 2nd place in their level -- which was pretty impressive considering Bas cheated and licked the food refusal and also competed with a broken tooth. I'm proud of them both. Then we were hosting the judge at our house from Sunday till Thursday. He spoke no English and my French is just remnants from 1 year in high school. It was interesting. Anyway, Will & I took him to the mountains on Tuesday night and the squirrels or chipmunks or whatever these things are were running amok! One ran right under Will's stroller!!! I thought he was gonna attack my baby and give him rabies, but luckily we escaped unharmed. Here are the pics...

Video of Will

2008-07-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Teeth!

2008-07-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Will's two bottom front teeth are finally poking through. Take a look...

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2008-07-05T12:56:00.001-07:00

We went to the Thanksgiving Point Gardens on the Fourth of July. It was soooooo cool! I can't believe we've lived here this long and we've never been. Here are a lot of pics....

Will liked the waterfalls. I think it was the cooling mist or the white noise.

Here he is viewing them from the bridge above with daddy.

Will is flying
This is the English rose garden....very Jane Austen

This is the cool pond that was filled with koi
Will likes to ride on dad instead of the stroller....the view is much better.
This is the cool path to the secret garden. The shade felt so good.And the door to the secret garden

This is the view of the gardens from the main entrance

A shady grove of trees
A creek runs through it

We had so much fun. There is an also Italian herb garden that is heavenly smelling! I think we will buy an annual pass, it includes entrance to the children's splash park too. So cool that this is only a couple miles from home!

Cousins & 6 month update

2008-06-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Will met his cousins from Texas for the first time & he loved them!

Here is Chloe....

And Brooklyn....

And Jack....

He had so much fun meeting everyone & loved all the attention!

Jack & Brook got a time out...in the dog cage!

JUST KIDDING! Don't call child services on us! They put themselves in there & thought it was so fun!

Will had his 6 month appointment Monday and several people have asked for his stats....so here they are:

Length: 27" 75th Percentile

Weight: 17 lbs. 5 Oz. 25th Percentile

Head Circ.: 44.9cm 75th Percentile

So basically he is tall and skinny with a big head (Jason says he is a Q-tip).

Farm field trip

2008-06-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

We went to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country with Aunt Colleen and cousins Chloe, Brooklyn, and Jack. It was so much fun! Will met a cow....

Hello cow!

I have something for you, let me get it.

Here you go....

Thank you for sharing William!

Learning to stand

2008-06-19T16:37:00.001-07:00

Will is standing on his own (with the ottoman's help)

He doesn't even mind when he falls...

William's 6 month old pics....

2008-06-13T10:36:00.001-07:00

This one reminds me of The 40 Year Old Virgin movie poster:

This is his Bill Clinton impersonation:

Busy Weekend

2008-06-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

It was a BBQ fest this weekend! I am scared to see our gas bill. First we grilled some USDA Prime Dry Aged steaks with Mark & Emily on Saturday and watched the fight. Will can't wait till he is old enough to play with Dax & Taj...they looked liked they were having so much fun. (Oh and Taj, sorry about that ball Bas ate, and Dax about that bite in the tush -- Bas is a bad, bad dog.)

Then Sunday we cooked Yummy Korean BBQ chicken (Jason ordered 40 pounds for a work BBQ Saturday, and we had some left over.) And Monday he smoked a pork shoulder & a rack of ribs for 8 hours. They were fall off the bone deliciousness. We took those to a party at Kristi & Jeff's house where Will took his first (assisted) steps! Man, I wish I'd had a camera there. But it was so much fun! I sure wish someone (hint, hint Lori) would have a baby so Will would have someone closer his age to play with, but we still had a blast. Kristi & Jeff's house is better than Toys R Us.

Lara moved out to her new place Monday too. So now it's just me & Will again. It's kind of wierd just having the house to ourselves all day. What will we do?

Same Ole, Same Ole

2008-06-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a slacker. Nothing to blog about. Will got some new blocks this week....that was the highlight of the week.

Thank you Colleen!

2008-06-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker...I haven't posted in like a week, but I had to get Colleen to make my blog look pretty! But DANG, doesn't it look pretty!!! Thank you Colleen!!! Great Job!!!

Weight Watchers weigh in

2008-05-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

So after 2 weeks off the wagon with Jason's dad here and then in Hawaii I only managed to gain .8 pounds! I'm back on today though with full force. (I get to keep my gold star though cause the gain put me back to an even 10 pound loss to date.)

How many points do I get for doing 3 tons of laundry?

Home sweet home

2008-05-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

I am sooooooo happy to be home! Tired and yet still on Hawaii time so I can't sleep. I am heartbroken I left my favorite hoody on the plane from SFO to SLC. I called the United lost & found and hopefully I can get it back, but I am not counting on it. It is way too cute and I'm sure whoever finds in from the cleaning crew will keep it. :( Let's all cry and have a moment of silence for my favorite sweater.

Anyway, Will was a horrible monster on the flight from Honolulu to SFO. But he slept most of the way from SFO to SLC so that was better. He was great in the airport too. SFO is the best airport to have a 3 hour layover in because A. there is great food, and B. they have private nursing rooms for mothers. A nice peaceful place in a crowded airport -- bless those liberal le leche league women in San Fran!

Will's still on Hawaii time so lets see how he sleeps tonite. Man I am tired! I'll post more pics in the morning.

Our last night in Hawaii

2008-05-27T00:31:00.001-07:00

Uncle Peter hosted a family dinner at his house Sunday night....these are all the "adult" cousins and uncles and aunts that were there

These are all the kid cousins and Michaels two sons Connor & Cash who are so cute!

Grandmother and Grandfather (who says we should come visit every two year....so he has something to look forward to and can keep living). I noticed Jason and Will both have Grandfather's perfect frown...it's so cute I HAVE to get a picture of it sometime.

Uncle Peter took us to the private military beach on Sunday. It was so pretty the water was soooo blue green & warm!

Jason and cousin Peter Jr. took out a kayak and got flipped over by a wave.

Tonight is our last night here. :( We had dinner with the family EVERY night except one....and that one time we were so tired we slept from 4pm till the next morning at 6. (Sure was nice on the budget though, all those free meals!) We had so much fun hanging out with all the relatives & meeting new cousins & in-laws we haven't met yet. I hate to go home, but it will be nice to be back in a peaceful routine again. As long as we survive that looooong flight home tomorrow.....

More from Hawaii

2008-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Unce Peter invited us to use his pool. This is the view from his house...

And his awesome pool...

And here are Will & Daddy learning to swim...

Thank you Uncle Peter, that was sooooo much fun!!!

Hawaii Day 2

2008-05-23T11:18:00.001-07:00

So Will was cranky & jet lagged and cried for 3 hours...

Will and great-grandma...

Cousins Lori & Peter Jr. are almost 13 now!

We went to Buca di Beppo for dinner with all the family.

Cousin Angie & baby Will.

More to come!

Aloha from Hawaii!!

2008-05-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

The flight was great...Will was a doll. There was this other 1 or 2 year old I wanted to kill though. Dad thought it was a good idea to let him run out his excess energy in the back of the plane in the galley section. Well we were in the very last row, so this kid is back there running and jumping and SCREAMING while Will was sleeping. I was suprised he slept through it...but he did. Anywhere....here are the pics so far.

All you ever wanted to know (and more) about....

2008-05-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

...getting a brazilian wax.

Okay so first off, it was NOT that painful. I was expecting soooo much worse. But on a scale of one to ten probably only a six. The lady that did it, Debra, was really awesome and so professional. She's been doing it for 9 years and usually does about 8 a day so I'm sure she's seen it all before (if you know what I mean).

Basically she has you undress from the waste down and you are on this leather reclining chair/table (like when you get a facial). You put your heals together and pull your knees up, like you are getting a cathetar (sp?). She moves your hands around and tells you where to put them to hold the skin taunt, then she spreads on the wax with the popsicle stick looking thing and RIPS it off with muslin cloth. At the end you get on all fours (except it's three cause you alternate with each arm holding your butt cheek apart) and she waxes back there. Sounds mortifying right? But it sooooo wasn't that is the odd thing!

She's just chatting away the whole time talking about boyfriends and kids and travel and all kinds of stuff. She was so professional and fast. The whole thing took about 15 minutes. I am definately going back in 4 weeks. I wish I had done this years ago because the results are so nice and I won't have to worry about shaving in Hawaii at all!

Anyway, I highly recommend Debra's Waxing at 5818 S 900 E in Murray. (801) 755-1735 or (801) 262-2766.

My first Mothers Day as a mother....(Updated)

2008-05-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

So Will gave me the BEST present ever!!! I put him down at 7:30 (and for the second night in a row he didn't even cry), and he slept till 12:20 & woke up to eat. THEN HE SLEPT TILL 7:15am!!! It was soooooooooo nice! I am a heavy advocate of Babywise. If you know anyone that is pregnant, or you need a shower gift, get them that book!

I also bought myself Stephanie Meyer's new book The Host, and I have a hair appointment this week. Jason made me two pieces of bacon and got my some baby white daisies & a card from Will (since he can't read or "wright" yet according to the card said). Lara also sent me a bouquet of daisies, but they arrived a day late (hopefully she got a refund for that cause she doesn't need to be spending her money on me now that she is unemployed!) Lara is officially out of the Navy now after 7 years of service and will be attending the U of U. She has a cute apartment in the Avenues and they will even let her have a dog there.

Update--The Host is sooooooooo good! I've been reading every free moment I have. And Will slept through the night again on Sunday! I think we are on a roll.....

The boys playing ball

2008-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Will's favorite thing to do is play ball with dad & Bas. He laughs & laughs when Bas brings the ball back & just stares when he's chasing the ball. Jason can't wait till Will is old enough to throw the ball for Bas. Here are some pics...

I'm having a blah day....

2008-04-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today it is snowing! This sucks!!! I miss spring. But this makes me more excited for Hawaii. So I am debating on whether of not to quit paying Weight Watchers $12 a week. I found a "Fitness Tracker" in an old day planner I have. But it could easily replace the little booklet they give you each week. I don't attend the meetings because they don't motivate me (when you are skinnier than 95% of the people there you start thinking "Hey, I look good.....have a cookie"), and when I weigh in they always ask me how much more I plan to lose, like I'm not fat enough or something to be there. I can even buy the official WW scale at Bed Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=146036453&sku=14067442&rn=444&col=%2D99&mesg=Items+were+added+to+your+cart%2E+%3Ca+href%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebedbathandbeyond%2Ecom%2FshowCart%2Easp%3Forder%5Fnum%3D146036453%26retloc%3Dproduct%252Easp%26retarg%3DSKU%253D14067442%26%3EProceed+to+checkout%2E+%3Cimg+src%3D%2Fimg%2Fglobalicon%5Fcart%2Egif+border%3D0%3E%3C%2Fa%3E

So why do I spend the $12 a week? Will I lose motivation if I don't have a little old lady telling me my weight? Can I just buy the scale and keep it at my mom's house so I have to go there & weigh in instead of weighing myself obsessively every day (which I do anyway, but my current scales doesn't go to the ounce)? She's a little old lady now, so she could read it for me if necessary. The scale pays for itself in 2 weeks with my coupon.

Should I just find a different meeting to attend with (hopefully) more women like me instead of the "relief society types" that attend my current meeting? It's hard with Will because he's always cranky at night so I couldn't bring him to those meetings. I'm going to go to a Saturday meeting this week & if it's not better, I think I am going to drop out & do it on my own instead.

The countdown begins

2008-04-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

So it is officially 30 days today until we go to Hawaii. (Coincidentally it is Will's 4 month birthday! Happy Birthday Will!) Anyway, I am "officially" back to the pre-pregnancy weight thanks to a combination of Isagenix, Weight Watchers, exercise, and breast feeding. However, I still want to firm up and lose another 5 pounds (or more) before we go to Hawaii. I'd like to wear the pre-prego "skinny jeans" instead of the pre-prego "normal" jeans. Everyone has three types of jeans right: skinny, normal, & fat? Sorry, I digress....

So, in order to achieve this goal I will be reducing my Points to 30, instead of the 32 I am allowed, and increasing my exercise (resistance & cardio) to 1 hour per day EVERY SINGLE DAY until we go to Hawaii. If I am brave enough, I will actually post my before & after pictures.....depending on how good the after pictures are :)

I can't wait till it warms up enough here to move the exercise outside, but in the mean time I have my treadmill, total gym, & a library of exercise videos.

My son can roll over!

2008-04-17T16:02:00.001-07:00

Watch him now, here he goes.........

Unfinished projects

2008-04-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

So we've lived in our house since June of 2005 and that whole time I've MEANT to build in some shelves next to the fire place. Well I finally had time now that I have a great full time job as a stay at home mom. I also trimmed out the fireplace (which was unfinished almost 3 years) and bought a new rug so the room is a little less beige. And here are the results:

Jack likes the new rug too!

Colleen says I need a blog....

2008-04-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Apperantly I am the only person in the western world not to have a blog. So here it is....now what?